qestion on surgery

what is the difference between a masectomy and a radical masectomy?

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear Ginger,  In a "total" or "modified radical" mastectomy, the goal is to remove all of the breast tissue.  So with this procedure as much of the breast tissue as possible is removed as well as some of the lymph nodes.  With a "radical" mastectomy in addition to removing the whole breast, the chest muscle was also removed,as well as,all of the lymph nodes under the arm up to the collarbone.  This procedure is no longer done, for very large tumors we almost always use chemotherapy to shrink them before surgery.  If the tumor has invaded the chest muscle, now the entire muscle is not removed but only a portion of the muscle right under the tumor is taken and the rest is left in place.